


just to know you're there

by 2manyboys



Series: kink meme fills [5]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/F, Family Dynamics, M/M, Podfic Available, Sleepy Cuddles, Snuggles for Nicky, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 07:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26349190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2manyboys/pseuds/2manyboys
Summary: 5 + 1 fill for the kinkmeme prompt: The gang observes a few times that Joe has carried Nicky while Nicky was sleeping, picking him up out of the car after a mission, when he falls asleep at the table while reading his book etc
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: kink meme fills [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914529
Comments: 68
Kudos: 890





	just to know you're there

1

Andy witnesses this particular reoccurring moment of tenderness first. They’re riding, the four of them, making a long journey on horseback. Joe and Nicky are sharing a horse, having lost the other in a skirmish. It’s a good thing they’ve always packed light. 

They’ve traded off riding in front, going slow and stopping often to ease the strain on the animal. Come nightfall it’s Joe with his arms around Nicky, nudging their horse to follow Andy’s whenever he gets any ideas. She twists around to ask about making camp and finds Joe’s arm across Nicky’s chest, holding him tight and close, because he’s already asleep. Andy thinks they could have been like that since the last time she bothered to turn around; Joe wouldn’t have risked raising his voice to wake Nicky unless he thought they were in danger of speeding up enough that he’d fall. 

Andy motions towards a rock jutting out from the hills enough that it might provide some cover for the night and moves towards it. Joe follows behind and slows down to a gentle stop, waiting without asking, knowing that Andy will dismount and help him with Nicky. 

“Could you hold him up please? I’ll get him off the horse.” Joe says, smiling a tired smile. 

“Sure,” Andy says, “As long as it’s not because you think I can’t carry him.” She braces her hands against Nicky’s arm and waist while Joe hastily dismounts on the other side. While he gets his legs under him, Andy scans the horizon for Quynh. She’s scouting ahead but checks back regularly, it’s likely she’ll remember this spot and appear out of nowhere. Andy’s looking forward to it. 

“I am simply too selfish to give up a moment of him in my arms.” Joe assures her. “I don’t doubt your strength, Andromache, I assure you.”

Andy rolls her eyes and helps tip the unconscious Nicky toward Joe, stifling laughter when Nicky doesn’t even make a protesting noise at being jostled. Joe gets one arm under Nicky’s knees and the other under his shoulders and carries him off towards their shelter. Andy watches Joe gently lower Nicky to the ground and pause, looking at him for a long moment, before he comes back to help unload the supplies. 

2

Quynh sees them another time, as they’re leaving a secret game of cards they play every week with other couples, two pairs of women and a pair of men. Nicky has been awake for nearly an entire day when they get to the flat, having insisted he wants to see their friends and relax now that their mission is done. Quynh watches him, delighting in the sleepy way he keeps tugging at his cravat and rubbing at his mouth, and watches Joe too. He’s careful to stay close to Nicky all night and, sure enough, halfway through poker, Nicky slowly tips into Joe until his head drops onto Joe’s shoulder, dead to the world. 

Joe turns and kisses his forehead, finishing the game before excusing them both. Quynh goes with them because she’s exhausted and Andy stays to talk politics and horses, kissing Quynh goodbye in a distracted sort of way that speaks to their long years together. 

Quynh’s a little surprised to see Joe heft Nicky up onto his back, letting Nicky’s arms dangle over his shoulders, tucking his hands under Nicky’s thighs. She’d assumed Nicky would wake up enough to walk, or more precisely sleepwalk, back with them. Instead, she can practically hear him snoring. It must be very loud in Joe’s ear but all he says is, “Would you mind getting the door?”

“Of course, my lady.” Quynh replies, sketching a bow. Joe pretends to curtsey in response but rather than a skirt he lifts Nicky’s legs apart slightly. They find themselves very funny for that joke the whole cobblestone walk home. 

3

Booker tries not to look directly at Joe and Nicky when they’re like this. They don’t do it on purpose but it aches to see the way they orbit each other, never too far out of reach. It’s halftime of a tied game of football and Joe abruptly cuts off his own impassioned critique of Booker’s team’s defense because they step into the kitchen to see Nicky asleep at the table. He’s got a hand spread out on his book like he’s keeping the page marked and a cup of coffee is still steaming next to it but he’s so deeply asleep he’s drooling on the table a little. Booker tries not to see the way Joe’s train of thought visibly switches tracks to nothing but love, love, love. It’s hard not to see, even just watching Joe out of the corner of his eyes.

Booker gets a beer from the fridge, turning to offer Joe one as well but seeing instead that Joe is combing Nicky’s hair off his forehead and leaning down to gently kiss him there. He’s already pretty sure Joe won’t watch the rest of the game with him and then Nicky, still definitely asleep, says very clearly: “Yusuf.” Joe melts, glancing up at Booker as if to check he also heard that. Booker just nods, shrugs, and goes back to the couch alone.

A minute or two later, while Booker’s zoning out staring into the bright screen of the TV, Joe walks through the room. He eclipses Booker’s view of the commercials and the light draws an outline around the way he’s got Nicky slung over his shoulder. 

“Bonne nuit.” Booker says.

“Bonne chance.” Joe quips. 

4

Nile sees it happen after Merrick. She doesn’t think anything of it at first, Nicky fell asleep squished in the backseat between her and Booker and somebody has to wake him up so Andy can ditch their getaway car. She’s not expecting Nicky to fall asleep again during the trip from the car into the safehouse.

Joe’s already supporting most of Nicky’s weight, Nicky’s arm around his shoulders. They both look like they’ve been through hell the past few days but Nicky… Nicky looks like all the deaths that happened to him the past few hours could have stuck. When he falls asleep, slumping into Joe so completely that Nile can see him struggle for a second not to fall as well, she thinks Joe will gently wake him again. It’s only about ten steps through the door, which Booker has left open behind him. (He’d gone first like he knew they wouldn’t want him at their backs.)

Rather than wake Nicky, Joe lifts the man into his arms. Nile is stunned, remembering what Joe’s been through. It’s enough that Nicky’s body has given up for the night and somehow Joe finds the strength to carry on for both of them. There’s something even more incredible about the image when Joe slows approaching the threshold, turning so Nicky’s feet and head lolling backwards aren't at any risk of hitting the door frame. Nile watches them step through the doorway and keeps thinking about love and family. 

5

Copley doesn’t see Joe carrying sleeping Nicky for a long time. Long enough that he’s started to get properly old. Under the most dire circumstances the team occasionally hide out at his place, but they’re almost _too_ good at being temporary roommates. Joe and Nicky he rarely sees unless they deliberately seek each other out. 

He’s surprised then, to see Joe carrying Nicky up the tall staircase towards their guest bedroom when he’s going downstairs for another cup of tea. (Copley keeps a kettle in his office too, of course, but the blend he’s craving is in the kitchen because Nicky also drinks it.) Nicky’s forehead is down on Joe’s shoulder, arms over his shoulders, their chests pressed together. Joe has an arm under Nicky’s ass and another around his back, the way parents carry small children.

He’s moving slowly but he clearly doesn’t need help. Copley just nods vaguely at him as they pass each other and Joe nods back. Some affectionate instinct has him glancing over his shoulder just once afterwards, checking they’ve made it safely to the top. They have. He sees Joe shift Nicky higher, getting a better grip on him, and continue down the hallway. 

+1

Nicky’s faking it this time. He knows Joe will find him out by the pool in the lounge chair next to Nile, pitcher of sangria empty of wine between them. He knows Nile will laugh and say, “You could just throw him in the pool.” It almost makes him smile and reveal his playacting when she does, when Joe laughs big and loud, unafraid of waking him. Being tossed in the pool would probably work, if he was really asleep, but no sound of Joe’s would bring Nicky out of a midday nap unless it was a cry for help. 

Joe lifts him into his arms the way Nicky usually only half-remembers after he wakes. He’s careful but handsy, his grip firm and confident and, frankly, reminiscent of more intimate moments. Keeping his eyes closed, Nicky waits as Joe arranges him up on his hip. 

“Want me to take the pitcher too?” Joe asks Nile, like it’s no trouble for him to drop that off inside as well, while he’s making the trip.

“Only if you’ll bring me more.” Nile says. Joe agrees and shifts like he’s taking it from her.

Nicky doesn’t quite think he could be more attracted to Joe in this moment, but then he hears him says, “I could carry you inside too, if you like.” 

He probably could, Nicky thinks, delighting in imagining it. It would take longer and they might end up breaking the pitcher, but he almost wants them to try it. 

“I'm good.” Nile says, laughing, “I’m still going to swim, unlike that lightweight, and you have your hands full already.”

“He _is_ a handful.” Joe agrees, already walking away so Nile won’t threaten to push them both into the pool for his innuendo. “Sometimes two!” Joe shouts as he goes, earning a groan and reluctant laughter. 

Once they’re through the doorway Nicky gives up on pretending, helping Joe out by wrapping his legs and arms around him tightly. If this also helps him get closer in general, well, that’s a side benefit. Joe gasps theatrically, dropping the sangria onto the kitchen counter and setting Nicky next to it, hands sliding to his hips, thumbs rubbing along the cut of his hipbones above the waist of his swim trunks. 

“Babe, if you want me to hold you, all you have to do is ask.” Joe says, smiling so big his face lights up with it.

“Lo so.” Nicky says, tugging him in with both hands on the sides of his face to kiss him slow and deep. He drops his voice lower afterwards to ask, “And if I don’t just want you to hold me this time?”

“Pick a wall, I’m all yours.” Joe says.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Roma Fade by Andrew Bird. This one is definitely inspired by the sweet people of the discord, love you guys.


End file.
